I’ve started thinking about the end of the semester and the transition into summer. The academic year is usually thought of as having 2 main seasons: term-time and not-term-time. When you are teaching, things are busy. There is also a lot of service and admin. The time available for research and writing is limited in […]
Read More »Developing a Practice
Your academic life is more than a string of articles published, classes taught, and meetings attended. You write because this is how you articulate and develop your ideas. You publish to communicate those ideas to others. Posts in this category help you develop the practices you need to do the work you love well without burning out or compromising your values.
You Need a Writing Practice is a good place to start to investigate the Writing subcategory.
Juggling 101: Elements of a good plan is a good place to start investigating the Planning subcategory.
Not contributing to other people’s email overwhelm
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Not contributing to other people’s email overwhelm As a companion piece to Managing email when you’ve rapidly switched to remote working, I thought I’d also share some tips to make email more effective as a means of communication. Modelling good email practices does create change. If other people find your […]
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Managing email when you’ve rapidly switched to remote working
This post was originally written during a time when many universities and workplaces had shifted to remote work in response to the COVID pandemic. Although circumstances have now changed for many people, much of what I say in this post still applies. Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Managing email in the rapid switch […]
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Are you taking breaks?
Fatigue impairs cognitive function. In the planning classes I run in the Academic Writing Studio, I talk about the importance of sleep and rest. I suggest things like taking a break away from your desk to each lunch and/or do some kind of movement activity. I talk about doing stretches or something between activities. […]
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How to feel like you are moving forward
I’ve had a few conversations with clients and colleagues that reminded me that your gremlins might have some very weird rules. “I feel like I’ve been working really hard but I haven’t ticked anything off my to do list.” “I have been working really hard and I have nothing to show for it.” These statements […]
Read More »Reviewing your writing accomplishments
Anna Clemens and I have been following each other on Twitter for a while. She provides editing and grant writing support for scientists and asked me if I could write something about reviewing the year for her blog. This is what I wrote. Review your scientific writing year (2019) Because her people are mainly scientists, […]
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Mid-semester burnout
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Mid-semester burnout During a period of widespread university staff strikes about increasing workloads, insecure pensions and low pay, I observed increased discussion amongst academics on social media about being in the overloaded and overwhelmed category. I read on Twitter that some folks were so overloaded they are apologising in […]
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Revision following peer review is a normal part of the scholarly writing process
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Revision following peer review is a normal part of the scholarly writing process Upon the publication of my 4th Short Guide: Peer Review, I had a lively discussion with Katherine Firth to mark the occasion. One of the things that came up was the frustration that comes from the […]
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Do you have too many active writing projects?
This post is part of a series on Optimizing Focus. Finding it hard to focus is normal. Self-flagellation does not work to improve your focus. Furthermore it takes time and energy that takes you away from your writing; it is another distraction. I firmly believe that you can approach your work compassionately rather than violently. […]
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Protecting time for writing: Interruptions
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Protecting time for writing: Interruptions I encourage you to make writing a priority and block time so that writing becomes a regular practice, rather than something you only do when you have specific deadlines. Although I recognise that different people will work better in different places, I strongly advocate […]
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Save time on teaching prep, without compromising quality
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · On Definining Learning Objectives I am a fan of articulating learning objectives or expected learning outcomes. (They are outcomes once they’ve happened. Expected outcomes or objectives when you start.) Articulating clearly what you expect students to learn as a result of taking your course can benefit students. It makes […]
Read More »Making Room for Reading
This is a guest post by Sarah Burton, a Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow. You can follow her on Twitter @DrFloraPoste. I’ve added the headings, a few comments (in italics at the end), and the related posts. Thinking about what the life of an academic would look like I usually pictured piles of leather-bound books […]
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